Lifetime is relaunching their site in Late June to become a premier destination for women and women's entertainment on the Internet. They've got a host of new "experts," digital capabilities like a wicked sharp tool that lets you watch Lifetime network programs on-screen in awesome clarity; iPod downloads; mobile text alerts about TV and .com content (like RBtheBook!); an awesome area with online games for women. For us? It'll be a place we can meet to learn, to play, and best of all, to talk about all the great things reading romance brings to our lives.

My "boss," Evan "The Greatest Guy Ever" Silverman, VP Online for Lifetime Television says this:"We're delighted to bring Michelle Buonfiglio and Romance: B(u)y the Bookto LifetimeTV.com in June. Romance Fiction and Lifetime are a natural fit -- as evidenced by the four Nora Roberts movies the network aired recently -- and we are excited to deepen that connection and celebrate romance with our online audience."

Bellas, I hope you'll be pleased to meet there, too, to welcome into our community the Lifetime online audience that already loves romance and HEAs. And I hope you'll enjoy getting to know that Lifetime audience, and playing at LifetimeTV.com.

***

Encore! I'll be back later, Bellas, with an update about this past weekend's WRW retreat. I missed you, and Dave let me know what was going on here...Encore due! The winner of the weekend's contest will be announced later, too. :)

But what happens to our nice little community that we have here?? I hope it doesn't change. I enjoy my daily (well, almost) blogging with the Bellas and the occassional visitors. And helping teach class.

I am happy for you Michelle, don't get me wrong. But I will reserve my judgement until I see what they will be doing and how it will affect us all.

Congrats Primera Bella! We are proud of you. And while you're talking to the PTB (powers that be) at Lifetime, encourage them to do more of the romance novels to movies like they did with Nora Roberts cuz we love that stuff (and less of the woman gets beaten up yet again movies). We love them romances and HEA's, right ladies!

Michelle...you da bomb baby! Congrats-a-plenty to you sweetie! Puleeze keep us posted with all the details. Hope everyone is having a great Monday. I'm having to renew my car registration today and pay more money out of pocket on something totally un-fun. Why can't we just spend all our money on books? That's the way it is supposed to be, isn't it? :-) Chow bellas!

Hullo, Bellas! Thank you so much for your congrats. Phew! So glad that's out now. There were, like, a bazillion google (as my kids say) times I almost let it slip. :)

But now, since Lifetime Television did their "up front" last week -- where they have a big shindig in NYC to release news to the media of their new programming and LifetimeTV.com relaunch -- I can start having you along for the ride and excitement. Would you mind sharing the stress, too? I mean, you always said how nice it was to share the whole gamut of events in our lives, right?

So, the next time I have a little panic attack at 2am, can I call you at home? Well, think about it.

Ev, I know exactly what you're saying. You know, this has been a long time coming, and when it was finally a go, Dave was, like, "What's wrong? You're kinda mopey. Isn't this what you wanted?" And I was like, "well, yeah, but what about the Bellas? How can I make sure nobody gets lost in the shuffle, and keep the tone the same?"

One of the things I bragged about this weekend was how by my giving up some control, you all seemed to take a little ownership in this blog. So when new commenters and GuestBloggers visited, I could have really hung back and done nothing all day, because you all welcomed the new folks, treated them as if you've invited them into your homes.

And -- especially evident in the way you all answered over the weekend -- I think you understand that what you have to say is respected, and are in turn so considerate of new folks and ideas, you won't allow anyone to diss even a reasonably expressed opinion you don't agree with.

That's pretty singular, and what will continue to keep our blog fun when we move to LifetimeTV.com.

But remember this: Evan hired me to do what I've been doing for two years, using the same formula. And growth that comes from partnering with LifetimeTV.com will only be for the best of what I can bring you.

You have to, have to know how important you are to me. As pathetic as that sounds, but that's part and parcel of living some of our lives every day w/in this medium.

And fear not. I just saw a mock-up of the RBtheBook page, and they created a special gallery for hot guy picks. :)

I hope you'll keep this place here after the move, even if it's in a dormant, archived form, because I know there are lots of things here that people would want to look back at and/or which people have linked to, and I'd be sad to see them all go.

But, as someone who majorly fears change, I second Ev's sentiments. But on the flip side, knowing us, we won't *LET* it change! And, knowing there's to be a snaxy men gallery, I can tell my fears will be unfounded.

Michelle- thanks for the words of comfort, but I have a bunch of questions I am sure you will answer before this thing takes off. I hope??

Like- will we know have to watch our p's and c's or will we be able to continue our snarky comments we like to make, without haveing to worry about who we offend, or who has us thrown off cause they don't like sammy talk or erotic comments?

Is Vivi going to have to come incognito??? ;}

Although,if I don't have to enter this dumb word verification 3 times everytime I sign on, I will be happy with that alone.

Oh my gosh, Nina--"more of the romance novels to movies and less of the woman gets beaten up, yet again movies" Absolutely. Enough already with that.

Yes! we'll still have snax!

Ev--I so wanted to re-assure you earlier, and then I realized, I can't, I'm not Michelle, but I truly believe we'll still be us and isn't it the snark and the smarts that make it great? Like Michelle said, They hired her to keep doing what she's doing.

Ev, I understand your concern. We are going to be playing in a bigger pond now, but I think all of us will help keep it grounded and it will remain fun and positive.

You do ask some good questions though, and I'm curious to see what Michelle's responses will be. I'd hate to have to tone it down or be all p.c. because of the move. But I heard hot guy gallery and my ears perked up - it won't be so bad after all.

Btw, book pimp got me to buy a coupla Kresley Cole books this weekend, but dang, she's so right!

A million congratulations, Michelle! This is a coup for all bellas and for romance writing in general! So proud to have you as an ambassador of our business, and with a brand as fabulous as Lifetime. You earned it, baby! Can't wait to see how high it flies!

I've been accused of looking through rose colored glasses or, my personal favorite, living in my own little world in which everyone is welcome to visit. It's a lovely place. Anyway, something hit me (rather hard, it still stings) late last night; Alot of people are reading my comments. They may not respond to them but someone is always reading them. I was thinking about all the lurkers that came out over the weekend and how Michelle said that Dave was letting her in on what was going on. How weird is that? So, my point is that I guess it doesn't matter if we are posting in a bigger pond because whether alot of people are reading us or alot of people are reading what we say, it's all the same. How's that for talking in circles? There was a point there somewhere. If you missed it, then you need to visit my little world. I swear it made sense in my head...

Well, not so scary if you think about the miracle that we care enough about each other and the time we spend here to feel close, and to hope our relationships don't change.

You'd think that writing stuff on a computer and pressing send, making comments on a blog would be cold, anonymous. And it can be.

I've always been humbled -- and I'm totally not placating or being smarmy here -- that you and others choose to share your feelings and humor and unique attributes here.

Yes, commenting on blogs, writing blogs, can be very anonymous and there's a feeling of power associated with that. Which is why a lot of folks toss use them to spew out all their aggression and negativity.

It's far braver to do what you bellas do here: dare to air for view your opinions in a thoughtful manner. You guys feel it's ok to be vulnerable here when we talk about stuff closer to home that the best novels, or guys we'd like to make sammiches with.

And, yeah. Lots and lots and lots of folks read your comments. How bout this? How bout if something you've said here actually touched someone or someones. I think it happens all the time, and it's why people come back daily to lurk and not necessarily comment.

What if folks who read your comments feel nourished, or read a book you rec, or listen to a singer you like because they've grown to trust you from seeing your comments so often?

That's what I was getting at over the weekend's blog. Yes, your opinions are important and, heck, there'd be no RBtheBlog without them. Cause nobody wants to just read what I have to say. They wanna either tell us what they think, or read what you think.

I'm going to LifetimeTV.com because of the way I write about romance fiction and interact with readers and authors. But more than that, they're believing that I'll be able to invite women into a community that's got established members that new folks want to be friends with, to make connections with.

That's the heart of what we're doing and what we'll do there.

I'm counting on you to keep making this place better and better, to keep feeling like you own the place (but that doesn't mean you can trash the place and bring in dancing boys when I'm away, Vivi Anna).

And I hope you can trust me on this one. I mean, sheesh. This is a big thing in my life and career, but I'm loosing sleep, worried about how you guys are gonna feel about it.

You'll see. It's gonna be great, maybe a little crazy for a while, then it'll all fall into place for us.

Ev, I hear you. My understanding from Evan is that the tone can remain exactly the same. Poor guy, I was like, "you know Evan, we talk a lot about orgasms and sex, hot wet guys, and even anal sex and stuff." And he said it'd be fine.

And I think we already are extraordinarily respectful here. Yet I'm the first one to label a "P" a "C," as it were; I see my job as trying to nudge thoughtfulness on all sides of an issue.

But we don't talk about the big stuff just to titillate. That's what hot wet guys are for. But the exploration of erotica and fantasy and important industry issues == we deal with them like the mature women (and men) we are.

And we're talking today about their blogging/monitoring tool. There'll be little things to work out, like figuring out how not to have it 86 words like "bastard" and "Bitches, " etc. when we use them in context of romance.

We'll figure it out. What they won't do is censor commentary, so we'll have to make sure we keep the discourse thoughtful and up to our standards of "cyber-smiliness," if you dig what I mean.

The coolest thing of all is that Evan and Lifetime are really excited about our move there. They've met the whole proposition with more goodwill and jazzedness than I've experienced from some folks w/in the romance industry in the 2 years I've been doing this.

REMEMBER, BELLAS, these are Lifetime Television viewers we'll be welcoming. They love the same stuff we do, or they wouldn't be hanging there, watching Nora Roberst novels-to-movies and love stuff, etc. They are so much like us, it's scary.

And while I'm not exactly in a position to make suggestions about programming, I think I'll pass along Nina's words of wisdom. :)

Ev - I'm coming as myself girl. I'm not hiding my crazy ass. We've been the Bellas and helped Michelle make this blog a wonderful fun enviroment because we've been ourselves and talked about the things that we love, snaxy men and sammiches...I say take that same vivaciousness over to Lifetime and they'll love it.

{{BIG HUGS}} Bellas are the bestest of all. I can give you the ramblings that are in my mind and ya'll get it (or at least pretend to, which is just as nice). If I said the same thing to my mom, she would give me a blank stare and wonder where she went wrong... :p

I'm getting excited about this move. Do we get to give any new Bellas a proper initiation? You know, with jello shots, wigs and the whole ten yards? :oD

I really, really loves me some Lifetime and I think the whole rbtbwill be a most excellent addition!Congrats! We all fear change to some degree, but it is the wise (and dare i say flexible?!) person who embraces the unknown!

Hey Bellas - Just home from Lansing. Hellish, hellish trip home. Thunderstorms over the Lake and terrible turbulence and a grown woman SCREAMER on the plane. I mean, I get being scared, turbulence gets even my heart going and I fly every month. But this woman needed a firm slap. And believe me, there were more than one of us lining up to deliver it.

**rant over**

Jules - First in the initiation ritual, you forgot to mention Krispy Kremes. Very, very important part of the ritual. Critical, even.

Bellas, here's the thing, take it for what it's worth, but NO ONE but us sets the tone here. Even Michelle. Sure, she reins us in when we get a little out of hand (Ames, I'm talkin' about you and me baby), but other than that, *WE* *SET* *THE* *TONE*. We dictate what goes on here. Frankly, I'm bringing my filthy sense of humor and my barkalounger to the Lifetime joint, and setting up camp. I can't wait.

Not that I don't totally get your concerns, but what goes on here is WHY Lifetime chose (christened) Michelle and her work, I expect, other than that pond getting a little bigger, no kidding, it's gonna be more of the same.

MK, I'm SO sorry! I was once on a flight with a grown man who flipped out due to turbulence and even after mega Xanax and alcohol it didn't help. It was crazy!

I agree with you about the importance of *US*--I came to the same conclusion when I was becoming a wee smidge worried last night. It really is *US* not just Michelle. Thanks for the words of wisdom. :o)

OK, i am typeing this without the use of my right index finger. if you could see how slow and laborious it is. i tried to slice it off on a mandolin slicing potatoes for dinner. with the safety handle on it. i have 3 stitches and a splint. it hurts. idiot dr. told me i could work but no lifting. i can run a regiester. uh, no. duh. so i am off work this week.

As long as vivi and everyone else brings their smarminess and wise cracking selves, i will be there. i love lifetime and watch a lot of it, especially over the summer when everyone else sucks on tv. hell, i even belong to the newsletter thingy. (i need another beer- what u take when u can't have pain killers). u should see how many times i have corrected spelling. lol

i can asumes that they have lurked here before approaching u, and if they agreed we didm't have to change our bad selves, then i will believe them.

hell, they are doing a great job with blood ties. i love the books and the series. maybe we can get tanya to visit with us???????

and if i don't have to tupe this dumb verification any more it may be worth it!!!

OMG!! Ev- I hope you're feeling better. Doctors are idiots. I hope you get alot of reading done this week. {{BIG HUGS}}

MK-- I live in the path of those storms you flew over. We had tornadoes, hale and wind. Fun. I'm glad to see you landed safely. I hope the screamer got some medical attention. It sounds like she needs to up her dosage of Xanax or take it with some of Ev's beer. :o)KK. Of course the intiation has to include KK. And let's not forget, they need to be able to recognize a NK cover from 25 paces. :o)

Daughter was saying, as she took a pic with the phone camera while he was stitching, that it was too bad it wasn't the middle one. I could have used it on her about then.

I can catch up on tv too!!

i have only had one bad flight and that was with a screming, puking baby on the way to Puerto Rico. When daughter came home from TX last year the cops were waiting for the plane. (i was in the waiting room to pick the spider bitten daughter and wheekchair up). There was a 9 year old kid disrupting the entire flight to the point they called the cops.

When the kid got off he was still going off- yelling, swearing, threatening to kill his mom. Very stressful for everyone. Daughter was diagnosed with severe emotional disabilities wehn she was little and all I could see was her at that point. Lots of scary stories from those times. I know if she hadn't been in pain she would have most likely found a way to help calm him down. ::sigh::